20 Sep ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO OPENS ISLAND GIANTS EXHIBIT AT ESSEX COUNTY TURTLE BACK ZOO AND DEDICATES DISPLAY IN HONOR OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER PATRICIA SEBOLD
Published on September 20, 2023
West Orange, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. opened the Island Giants Exhibit at Essex County Turtle Back Zoo on Wednesday, September 20th. The new exhibit space includes natural habit-themed spaces for the alligators and Komodo Dragons. In addition, it was dedicated in honor of County Commissioner Patricia Sebold, who has served on the Board of Commissioners for over 30 years and has been a member of the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund since it formed in 1998.
“The new exhibit enables us to provide more indoor and outdoor spaces for our alligators and Komodo dragons and create a more dynamic year-round experience for our visitors to see the animals. This is part of our ongoing initiative to continually enhance accommodations for and care of our animals, meet new animal care standards and provide our visitors unique learning opportunities,” DiVincenzo said. “I want to make sure that the people who have given so much to Essex County are recognized for their contributions. Pat is deserving of this honor because of the solid representation she has given to the people of Essex County as a Commissioner and Advisory Board member. It’s fitting that we name an exhibit at Turtle Back after Pat because of her longtime support to the Zoo and our parks,” he added.
Exhibit is dedicated to Long-Time Commissioner Patricia Sebold
The new Island Giants Exhibit has been dedicated to Commissioner Sebold, whose 30-year tenure on the Board of Commissioners makes her one of the longest serving Freeholders/Commissioners. She also has served as the Commissioner’s representative on the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board since its creation in 1998.
“I always have been fond of Turtle Back Zoo. Look at what it has become today. I was overwhelmed when Joe said he was naming the exhibit after me at the groundbreaking and I am still overwhelmed today. I can’t thank you enough,” Sebold said to DiVincenzo. “My family came to this country committed to making a better society. I followed in their footsteps,” she added.
“Pat Sebold has an extraordinary public service career that spans over three decades. She has always committed herself to the community and her constituents. And Pat always has stood up for preserving open space and supporting environmental issues,” NJ Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.
“Because of Pat’s efforts, Turtle Back Zoo was brought back from nothing. This is an honor that Pat has earned,” Commissioner President Wayne Richardson said, describing Sebold as being his mentor. “This exhibit is appropriately named Island Giants and in Pat’s honor because she is a giant in our county,” Commissioner Vice President Carlos Pomares said. Commissioner Tyshammie Cooper described Pat as being as tenacious and committed as the alligators and Komodo dragons in the exhibit. “Pat has been an unrecognized trailblazer because when she started her political career she often was the only woman in the room. Pat has been elected time and again not because she is a woman, but because of her effectiveness and leadership,” Commissioner Brendan Gill said.
“The zoo is here because of the County Executive and Pat. This is a well-deserved honor and we are happy you now have your own island,” Livingston Mayor Michael Vieira said, joking about the name of the exhibit.
Essex County Administrator Robert Jackson said he is “awed by her energy, commitment and passion” to represent the residents of Essex County.
A bronze plaque at the site begins with a quote by former First Lady Michelle Obama: “(A public servant’s work) shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves. We fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.” It continues with: “For almost half a century, Pat Sebold has been a positive force in people’s lives in Essex County, molding the minds of our future leaders as an English teacher at West Orange High School for over 30 years, participating in Livingston’s civic affairs since 1976 and volunteering her time with a number of community groups, boards and committees. With Essex County, Pat is one of the longest serving County Commissioners, joining the board in 1993 and continuing to serve today. She always has been a proponent of modernizing parks, enhancing recreation opportunities and preserving open space, and has been a member of the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board since it was created in 1998. When a previous county administration threatened to close Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, Pat and Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., then serving as Freeholder President, recognized its potential as an educational and recreational treasure and fought to keep it open. Naming the Island Giants Exhibit in her honor is a fitting tribute for her longtime commitment to Essex County. Thank you for Putting Essex County First.”
Island Giants Exhibit Features Alligators and Komodo Dragons
“The World of Water is the thematic area of the zoo that allows us to highlight some of the species and ecosystems most influenced by water. It provides a platform for us to discuss the importance of water conservation to our planet’s health and survival,” Turtle Back Zoo Director Jillian Fazio said. “The new habitats within Island Giants demonstrate our commitment to protecting these vulnerable coastal species around the world. Our mission is to connect our guests and awake them to the realities that threaten our planet. These new habitats will assist us in the mission,” she added.
Island Giants features two exhibit spaces that have both indoor and outdoor areas for animals. Turtle Back’s Komodo dragon, named Shu, has been relocated from his quarters inside the Reptile Center to one of the new outdoor exhibit areas. Next to Shu in the indoor exhibit area are Aldabra Tortoises. Peaches, Turtle Back’s alligator who was temporarily moved to the Bronx Zoo during construction, has returned and is occupying the other outdoor exhibit space. Next to peaches in the second indoor space are tomistoma, a genus of crocodilians who are named Chevy, Checkers and Forrest.
The old alligator exhibit was opened in 2003 and needed to be updated to meet current standards set by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The exhibit is designed to resemble a bayou-type shed with a weathered wood surface on the outside. The pool for the alligators has a split view so visitors can see the animals when they are underwater and when they are floating about the water level. The expanded exhibit also provides Turtle Back Zoo with enough space to host two alligators instead of the one it currently has.
The Komodo dragon was welcomed in 2012 at Turtle Back Zoo, which at the time was the only zoo in the Tri-State area to have the reptiles on display. The Komodo dragon has been the marquee animal housed in the Reptile Building. The new exhibit has a southeast Asian theme; the building has a thatched roof and is landscaped with reeds. There also is a sandy area which is similar to the native habitat of the Komodo dragon. The expanded space allows Turtle Back Zoo to increase the number of Komodo dragons on exhibit from one to two.
Improved accommodations for both the alligator and Komodo dragon will enable Turtle Back Zoo to participate in the AZA’s Species Survival Program, which is a breeding program to strengthen the populations of endangered species.
French and Parrello from Wall received a professional services contract for $376,000 to design the new exhibit. APS Contracting from Paterson was awarded a publicly bid contract for $4,109,800 to perform the construction work. The Essex County Department of Public Works monitored the project to ensure delays were avoided. This was funded through the Essex County Capital Budget and a grant from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund. Work started in November 2022 and was completed in 10 months.
Turtle Back Zoo is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $19 for adults, $16 for senior citizens over 62 and children ages 2 to 12, and free for children under 2. To promote social distancing, tickets must be purchased in advance at https://turtlebackzoo.com/admission-hours/. For more information, visit www.essexcountynj.org/turtlebackzoo or call 973-731-5800.
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo has roared back to life from the verge of closure by a previous administration. Attendance reached an all-time high of 907,522 in 2017 and the zoo has operated as a self-sustaining facility with revenue collected exceeding operating expenses. In addition, Turtle Back is accredited by American Humane, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Zoological Association of American, a clear indication that an institution is committed to the highest standards in animal care, ethics, conservation and education. It also has been named the Best Zoo in New Jersey by NJ Monthly magazine four times and received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.com three times.
Revitalizing Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
Since taking office in 2003, DiVincenzo has spearheaded over $100 million in upgrades to Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, which have included creating a new Amazing Asia exhibit featuring Red Pandas and Clouded Leopards, updating the Turtle Back Junction Train Station to enhance public access; developing the African Adventure with four Masai giraffes, lions and hyenas, and South African Penguins; the Drill Family Flamingo Exhibit; Leopard Exhibit; a new Educational Building; the Carousel with 33 figures of endangered animals; the Sea Lion Sound Exhibit with sea lions, sharks and sting rays; the Big Cat Country Exhibit with jaguars and cougars; Tam-ring Gibbons Reserve with white cheeked gibbons apes, Reeves muntjac and white naped cranes; Australian Exhibit that features kangaroos, wallabies, emus and over 500 birds in the Aviary; Reptile and Education Center, open air dining pavilion and playground, Penguin Exhibit, Otter Exhibit, Wolf Exhibit, North American Animal Exhibit, Black Bear Exhibit, Animal Hospital, Essex Farm Petting Zoo and South American Animal Exhibit; renovating the Food Pavilion for year-round use and making upgrades to the entrance as well as fencing and infrastructure to meet AZA requirements. Funding has been provided through Green Acres grants, existing capital improvement bonds, or donations from the Zoological Society, Essex County Parks Foundation, corporations or private foundations. Corporations that have provided support include Investors Bank, Prudential Financial, Inc., Wells Fargo, PNC Bank, PSE&G, Verizon, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Coca Cola, Capital One Bank, TD Bank, Aramark, Covanta Energy, Matrix Development Group, the family of Ronald Mount and OxyMagic carpet cleaning.
The Essex County Park System was created in 1895 and is the first county park system established in the United States. The Park System consists of more than 6,000 acres and has 23 parks, five reservations, an environmental center, a zoo, Treetop Adventure Course, ice skating rink, roller skating rink, three public golf courses, golf driving range, two miniature golf courses, five off-leash dog facilities, a castle and the Presby Memorial Iris Gardens. Turtle Back Zoo is located in Essex County’s South Mountain Reservation and was opened to the public in 1963.